Karukachal: This Onam, dress materials from Tamil Nadu government's weavers' cooperative, Co-optex, would reach the doorsteps of Keralites. Co-optex has started door-to-door sales of textile materials for Onam while agencies in Kerala have been caught napping.
The sale is part of new marketing techniques adopted by Co-optex. Those who are employed would be given the clothes in six-month installments, if required. It is believed that the novel technique would earn crores for the TN-based cooperative. Consumers would also be spoilt for choices because they would be presented with a lot of materials stacked in vehicles that would reach their doorsteps.
However, similar agencies of the Kerala government do not even know that they are losing customers from under their noses. Hantex, Hanveev and thousands of other cooperatives operate under the government.
While agencies such as Khadi offer textiles in installments to customers, the door-delivery system is something novel. Meanwhile, customers are ignoring agencies of the local government because they have the luxury of choosing textiles in the comfort of their homes. Moreover, agencies in Kerala are only making halfhearted attempts to capture the market.
While there is no dearth of weaver-cooperatives in Kerala, apathy by top officials and lack of marketing strategies have pushed them into a bigger crisis this Onam.